You’ve probably heard students say they can’t do math or hatemath class. People laugh about being bad at math so often that it’s become a socially acceptable joke. But it isn’t funny at all.Math anxiety causes problems for students that can follow them throughout their school careers.
“Students who experience math anxiety believe they cannot learn math. Once students buy into that idea, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy,” according to Julia Narrell, Professional School Counselor at South Middle School in Joplin, MO. Even if students understand a concept, they may freeze when asked to apply the knowledge. Narrell noted that many students accept they’ll never be good at math and give up any motivation to try.
重要的是要记住,数学焦虑是否定的t limited to kids who struggle with math. Nicole Peters, an 8th-grade math and Algebra 1 teacher also from Joplin, MO, says advanced students feel it, too. “I work as a cheerleader to build up those who struggle and bring problems to advanced students that force them tothink deeper. While rote memorization of mathfactsand steps in a process is important, students need to move beyond those and into conceptual understanding.”
Both agree that the trick is getting kids to realize they can succeed in math. But first, teachers need to understand and acknowledge that math anxiety is a fact of life in the classroom for some students.
What’s the difference between math anxiety and feeling nervous?
We all experience nervousness from time to time. Public speaking and testing situations may bring those jitters to the surface. However, math anxiety is very different.Researchersbelieve that working memory, the part of the brain needed to complete tasks, becomes overpowered in people with math anxiety, causing a sense of panic. Because of that inability to concentrate and sense of helplessness, some kids will tryavoidancetechniques, such as absences on test days or shutting down in class.
Students may fear judgment from peers if they work slower than other classmates, making it difficult to recognizeprogressas they tackle problems. There are many physical effects as well. Commonsymptomsinclude increased heart rate, sweating, tension, dizziness, headaches, and nausea. In more severe cases, students may experience full-blown panic attacks.
Ways to ease math anxiety
“Part of math is learning the process and having confidence in yourself rather than focusing on one solution,” noted Narrell. She reminds students who come to her office withconcernsabout math anxiety to think rationally because irrational thoughts increase their fears. “I tell them that the incorrect messages your mind is feeding you right now are coming from your anxiety,” Narrell said. “Deep breathing is a simple technique to calm those irrational thoughts.”
Peters strives to show her students how to be successful in a safe place.“It’s important to normalize asking for help in class,” said Peters. “I encourage students to tutor BEFORE a test to feel more prepared and comfortable.”
There are actions to take to ease math anxiety! Take a look.
- Allow students to sharedifferent waysof attacking problems.
- Make sure students feel comfortable withmath terms.
- Encourage them to explain concepts to parents and practice at home.
- Change your language; for example, Peters refers to tests as “Celebrations of Knowledge.”
- Bring fun math activities to students that seem less stressful.
- Practice withonline games.
- Use art and writingskillsto work through negative emotions.
- Remindstudentsto take the time they need to solve problems regardless of who finishes first or last.
- Prompt students to go back and relearn unclear material becausemath conceptsbuild on previous learning.
- Teach students how to create mnemonic devices, such as PEMDAS, for remembering processes.
- Set up trial testing experiences with a few problems and a quiet environment to practice without the stress of grading.
- Usemanipulativeswhenever possible to help students visualize concepts.
- Model how to replace negativeself-talkwith positive affirmations.
Download the Steps to Ease Math Anxiety
“Math anxiety adds a lot of pressure to students,” said Narrell. “Make sure they know it is safe to ask questions and share concerns with you.”Students dealing with math anxiety must change the narrative, and teachers play a vital role in that script.
Allow your students a chance to practice independently and boost math confidence with our research-based activities.
